M2.9 earthquake 16 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 16 km NW of Parkfield, California on Thu, Apr 14, 1983, 7:35 PM PST (03:35 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
2.93	Md, duration	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · ±0.09 · 41 stations
2.62	Mc	Southern California Seismic Network	Final · 15 stations

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 200 in the 60 days after this one and 69 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of at least 200.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1090413 (also filed as ci1105011). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 12:37 PM UTC.